A suspect has been taken into custody after firing multiple rounds toward the Cuban Embassy in Northwest Washington early Thursday morning, police said.
The gunfire broke out about 2:10 a.m. outside the embassy, on 16th Street NW near Fuller Street NW, before police who were in the area arrived at the scene and within minutes arrested the suspect.
D.C. police Lt. Brian Hollan said authorities are “confident” nobody was injured in the shooting, but are still investigating the extent to which the Cuban Embassy was damaged, if at all. Various neighbors in the area, using the neighborhood app Nextdoor, reported waking up to hear a barrage of gunfire and screaming.
Hollan declined to elaborate on how many shots were fired, or what type of gun was used in the shooting. He referred further questions to the Secret Service, which is heading the investigation.
D.C. police identified the suspect as Alexander Alazo, 42, of Aubrey, Texas, located north of Dallas. Police described the gun as an assault-style firearm.
The U.S. Secret Service said charges include assault with intent to kill and possession of an unregistered firearm. It was not immediately clear if the suspect would be charged in D.C. Superior Court or face federal charges in U.S. District Court.
Hollan was not certain whether there were people inside the embassy at the time of the shooting, but multiple lights were on inside the building after police arrived. The Cuban Embassy could not be immediately reached.
About a dozen police cruisers from D.C. police and the Secret Service surrounded the embassy and blocked off 16th Street from Fuller Street to Euclid Street NW, and a police dog sniffed its way around the building’s perimeter.
A maroon Nissan Pathfinder parked directly outside the embassy was the subject of intense police scrutiny, as officers draped yellow caution tape around it and photographed the inside of the vehicle. Hollan said the vehicle appears to be connected to the suspect.
There appeared to be a small decorative American flag affixed on the back end of the SUV.
On the ground next to the driver’s side door was a black jacket and what appeared to be a blanket. One officer picked up a small white face mask lying next to the items and quipped, “Hey, he came with a mask,” before loading the belongings back into the vehicle and driving it away.
Officers at the scene said the investigation would continue later Thursday.
Peter Hermann contributed to this report.
